Finance

Courses

Principles and techniques used by business firms in managing and financing their current and fixed assets; sources of funds within the capital markets; determinants of the financial structure; analytical techniques.
Prerequisite(s): (ACC 200 or ACC 207 or [ACC 300A and ACC 300B]); (ECO 203 or 204); Non-business majors only.

FIN 301. Introduction to Financial Management. 3 Hours

Principles and techniques used by business firms in managing and financing their current and fixed assets; sources of funds within the capital markets; determinants of the financial structure; analytical techniques.
Prerequisite(s): (BIZ 100 or BIZ 102 or BAI 151); (ACC 200 or ACC 207 or [ACC 300A and ACC 300B]); (ECO 203 or 204); business majors only.

FIN 315. Spreadsheet Modeling in Finance. 3 Hours

This lab course focuses on building financial models in Excel. Students will learn to construct models for practical, real-world applications that cover simple examples such as cash flow and ratio analysis to more complicated models of bond pricing, stock valuation and option pricing. In the process, students will master basic Excel skills and more advanced useful techniques. Prerequisite(s): FIN 300 or FIN 301.

FIN 330. Insurance & Risk Management. 3 Hours

Study of the basic concepts of business and personal risks from the standpoint of creation, identification, reduction, elimination, and evaluation of risks; the use of insurance in meeting problems of risk.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 300 or FIN 301.

FIN 336. Principles of Real Estate. 3 Hours

Survey of real estate industry with emphasis on its structure, regulation, growth, needs, financing, and future. Analysis of the methods for determining land use and evaluation of the theories of city development.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 300 or FIN 301.

FIN 340. Personal Financial Consulting. 3 Hours

This course introduces students to the concepts and practical implementation of professional financial planning, with a focus on the fundamentals of asset and income protection, capital accumulation, retirement planning, and estate planning. Emphasis is on integrating these elements into a comprehensive personal financial plan. The course also addresses client interactions, professional ethics and standards, the regulatory environment, and the business of financial planning.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 300 or FIN 301.

FIN 360. Investments. 3 Hours

The principles and techniques used by the investor in selecting securities, emphasis on the stock and bond markets; security valuation methods leading to the selection of individual issues; portfolio theory.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 300 or FIN 301, with minimum grade of C+.

This course creates a capstone experience for finance majors interested in pursuing a career in corporate finance. Topics introduced in FIN301 and FIN360 (prerequisites) as well as in Accounting 207 and Economics 203 and 204, are integrated into the financial analysis required to successfully play the simulation FinGame5.0. Students run a single product firm and must analyze current and estimated quarterly data to make decisions about capital budgeting proposals (efficiency projects as well as capital expansion); production scheduling; product pricing; dividend policy; capital structure; and short term financing.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360.

Explores the environment in which banks must operate, the financial statements of banks, and a thorough study of bank management topics which include: asset-liability management, the investment portfolio, sources of funds, and the loan portfolio.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360 or FIN 371.

FIN 479. Seminar in Bond Portfolio Management. 3 Hours

Theory and practice in active bond portfolio management. Literature and practical issues related to managing a bond fund. Seminar format; students are divided into teams, each responsible for a specific sector of the fixed income market.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360 or FIN 371.

The art and science of speculative foreign exchange trading, focusing on spot trading of Euros. Students implement a trading plan in a real foreign exchange environment under a set risk management policy. Students learn to watch the market, analyze profitable situations, and produce winning trades.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360.

Topics include appropriate leverage, when to take profits, when to have a stop loss, and hedging strategies. Students will learn to write short-term trading plans encompassing fundamental news events and technical charting, then implement a longer view. Each student is expected to open a real micro account from $300-$500.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 481.

FIN 490. Special Topics in Finance. 3 Hours

Subject varies from time to time. May be taken more than once if the topic changes.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 301.

FIN 491. Honors Thesis. 3 Hours

Selection, design, investigation, and completion of an independent original research thesis under the guidance of a departmental faculty member. Restricted to students in the University Honors Program with permission of the director of the program and the departmental chairperson.

FIN 492. Honors Thesis. 3 Hours

Selection, design, investigation, and completion of an independent original research thesis under the guidance of a departmental faculty member. Restricted to students in the University Honors Program with permission of the director of the program and the departmental chairperson.

FIN 493. Seminar in Investments. 3 Hours

Application of investment theory and techniques in a real-world setting. Students manage a funded portfolio in terms of establishing objectives, selecting securities to buy (sell), and evaluating portfolio performance. Emphasis is placed upon attempting to identify undervalued common stocks. Admission to the course is limited and must be approved by the instructor.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360 and permission of department chair.

FIN 494. Sem-Comm, Drvt&Eq Trad. 3 Hours

Application of derivatives trading strategies and financial data mining techniques based on equity, futures, options, and swaps in a real-world setting. Simulated derivatives trading using professional trading platform and strategies. Admission to the course is limited. Prerequisite(s): FIN 301.

Practical work experience associated with career development and career exploration relating to the student's major. Permission of department chair or designee required. Does not replace finance courses for the finance major. Finance majors only.
Prerequisite(s): Forty-five semester hours of credit.

FIN 498. Independent Study in Finance. 1-6 Hours

Directed readings and research in selected fields of finance. The number of semester hours will depend on the amount of work chosen. The course will involve periodic discussions with other students and faculty in the program. May be taken more than once for additional credit.
Prerequisite(s): 3.0 GPA in Finance; minimum of nine semester hours in Finance; nomination by faculty; permission of department chairperson.

FIN 603. Advanced Financial Accounting. 3 Hours

Satisfies the accounting capstone requirement for accounting majors and serves as evidence of the culmination of the Common Academic Program. Study of advanced financial accounting topics including consolidated financial statements and accounting for business combinations, multinational subsidiaries, and foreign currency transactions. A case based practical role play experience as an accountant and a case based analysis addressing fraud and the consequences of unethical behavior and the important role accountants play in protecting the public interest and serving society in general are integrated into the course.
Prerequisite(s): ACC 306 with a minimum grade of C or permission of Department Chairperson; Senior standing.

FIN 613. Econometrics. 3 Hours

Training in the art of making economic measurements from financial database using regression analysis as the principle tool; use of advanced statistical software (e.g. SAS, Stata, etc.) to estimate and test regression equations; interpretation of results using statistical inference.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 301 or MBA 620, and DSC 211.

FIN 621. Mergers and Acquisitions. 3 Hours

In depth study of company valuation techniques and the influence of the governance structure - the CEO, President, and the Board of Directors - on company value.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 623 or MBA 623.

FIN 623. Financial Statement Analysis. 3 Hours

The course focuses on the analysis of financial statements by integrating accounting concepts and principles to assess a company's performance, quality of earnings, valuation and other issues. Specific topics may include analysis of balance sheet, income statement, cash flow, off-balance sheet assets/liabilities, inter-corporate investments, and analysis of business combination.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 301 or MBA 620 or equivalent.

FIN 624. Financial Modeling. 3 Hours

This lab course focuses on building financial models in R and Excel. Students will learn to construct models for practical, real-world applications that cover simple examples such as cash flow and ratio analysis to more complicated models of bond pricing, stock valuation and option pricing. In the process, students will master basic R programming language, Excel skills, and more advanced modeling techniques.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 301 or MBA 620 or equivalent.

FIN 625. Investments. 3 Hours

Study of investment principles and techniques used by both individual and institutional investors. Topics include bond and stock markets, security valuation methods, portfolio theory and management, and investment institutions.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 301 or MBA 620 or equivalent.

FIN 626. Interntl Finance Mgt. 3 Hours

Integrates the international monetary environment with the multinational business firm and its operations. Analyzes the balance of international payments and exchange rate determination. Specific international financial management topics include export-import financing, foreign direct investment, foreign exchange risk management, financial controls, and international capital budgeting.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 301 or MBA 620 or equivalent.

FIN 627. Financial Derivatives & Risk Management. 3 Hours

This course provides a theoretical foundation for the pricing of contingent claims and for designing risk-management strategies. It covers option pricing models, hedging techniques, and trading strategies. It also includes portfolio insurance, value-at-risk measure, multistep binomial trees to value American options, interest rate options, and other exotic options.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360 or FIN 625 or MBA 625 or MTH 558.

FIN 628. Fixed Income Analysis. 3 Hours

This class will expose students to a variety of fixed income instruments that are traded in the financial markets, their investment characteristics, the state-of-art technology for valuing them, technique for quantifying their interest rate risk, and portfolio strategies for using them.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360 or FIN 625 or MBA 625 or MTH 558.

Stock intrinsic valuation by constructing FCFF Excel model, which includes forecasting firm financial statements, estimating levered beta and WACC, predicting free cash flows from firm and sensitivity analysis. Students will be selected to participate in the CFA Research Challenge.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360 or FIN 625 or MBA 625 or MTH 558.

FIN 632. Advanced Corporate Finance. 3 Hours

This course focuses upon corporate finance issues addressing short term financial management, long term capital budgeting, and long term financing choices. The course requires that the students understand these issues through a series of cases and projects. A significant amount of spreadsheet modeling together with both individual and group work will be required to examine the cases and projects.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 623 and FIN 624.

FIN 640. Fixed Income Trading. 3 Hours

Theory and practice in active bond portfolio management. Literature and practical issues related to managing a bond fund. Seminar format; students are divided into teams, each responsible for a specific sector of the fixed income market.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 628.

FIN 641. Equity Trading. 3 Hours

The art and science of technical equity trading. Students implement a trading plan in a real stock market environment under a set risk management policy. Students learn to watch the market, analyze profitable situations, and produce winning trades.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 360 or FIN 625 or MBA 625 or MTH 558.

Application of investment theory and techniques in a real-world setting. Students manage a funded portfolio in terms of establishing objectives, selecting securities to buy (sell), and evaluating portfolio performance. Emphasis is placed upon attempting to identify undervalued common stocks.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 630.

The course includes readings of finance literature in asset pricing, corporate finance and a mini project that requires the students to analyze topics in the financial markets using databases such as CRSP and Compustat. Various econometric methods will be employed; advanced statistical programming (e.g. SAS, Stata, etc.) is essential.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 613 and FIN 625.

FIN 663. Computational Finance. 3 Hours

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to numerical methods and various financial problems that include portfolio optimization and derivatives valuation that can be tackled by numerical methods. Students will learn the basics of numerical analysis, optimization methods, monte carlo simulations and finite difference methods for solving PDEs.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 301, or MBA 620, or equivalent.

FIN 670. CFA Preparatory. 3 Hours

A course designed to prepare students for CFA Levels I and II exam. Some scholarships may be given by the CFA Institute. CFA exam encompasses topic areas including quantitative methods, economics, financial reporting and analysis, corporate finance, equity investments, fixed income, derivatives, portfolio management, and ethics and professional standards. Since these topics constitute major components of the MF curriculum, CFA Preparatory provides the opportunity to integrate the learning experience. Students must complete 18 hrs. in the Master of Finance program before being eligible to take this course.
Prerequisite(s): FIN 623, FIN 624, FIN 630.